It takes a lot to stand out in the keyboard market today, as everybody have released numerous models with mechanical switches and RGBs behind them. Someone at Corsair may have been listening to War as they have come up with a low profile version of their K70 keyboard. These switches reduce your total keystroke from 4 mm to 3.2 mm as well as a shorter actuation travel, the length depending on the specific flavour of switch you purchase. The model that The Tech Report reviewed was a Rapidfire, which sports LP Speed switches which require a mere 1 mm to actuate.

"Corsair and Cherry have teamed up for another mechanical key switch debut, and this time, the star of the show is the MX Low Profile Speed switch on board the K70 MK.2 Low Profile Rapidfire keyboard. We got these slim switches under our fingers to see whether they're a shortcut to gaming and typing bliss."

The legendary Hyper 212 series from Cooler Master has a stealthy new look, with the upcoming Hyper 212 Black Edition coolers. Not just a cosmetic change, these new Black Edition coolers (available with or without RGB lighting) offer what Cooler Master is calling an "improved installation process from previous models with the same best-in-class performance for an affordable price".

The Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition cooler (via Cooler Master)

"Designed with PC enthusiasts in mind, the new Hyper 212 Black Edition coolers keep with the familiar four heat pipe design of the original Hyper 212 and continues to offer direct contact technology for more thorough heat dissipation.

For someone looking to build a small system for a reasonable price and doesn't want or need to put effort into tweaking it, this ASUS ROG Strix motherboard is a decent choice. The chipset simply doesn't support overclocking which also means less to break when investigating the UEFI. With the small size, single PCIe 16x slot and two DIMM slots it will not satisfy a power user, but a build for a friend or family member who has fairly basic needs it might be perfect.

"It seems there is a new mini-ITX motherboard model every time you turn around. We’ve often looked at the higher end of the spectrum on these little power houses. This time we switch gears and look at a more budget oriented option than we are used to, how does this $128 motherboard hold up to its more expensive brethren? "

Cooler Master have added RGBs to their new MP860 mouse mat, along with the Portal app to control them. No longer are you forced to shamefully mouse on a boring old pad, for life without breathing, marquee or random blinking lights is no way for a mouse or gamer to live! For the boring people who actually want to know how this pad is designed, it measures 36.3x26cm (14x10.3") and has both an aluminium and cloth side you can flip between based on your mood.

"Cooler Master's MP860 mouse pad jazzes things up with two separate mousing surfaces and a ring of RGB LED zones around its perimeter. We see whether this RGB LED mousing sandwich enhances the gaming experience."

Do You Have a Need for Kailh Silver Speed?

HyperX has launched the Alloy FPS RGB mechanical keyboard, featuring Kailh Silver Speed switches. The keyboard has a more compact design than the Alloy Elite RGB keyboard I reviewed back in June, and carries a price tag $50 lower than that model thanks in part to the lower-cost Kailh switches employed. Is the quality of this new keyboard up to the high standards of previous HyperX designs? How do these Kailh Silver Speed key switches feel compared to Cherry MX switches? I will try to answer both of these questions in this review, so let's get started!

Previously all HyperX keyboards were built with Cherry MX keyswitches, so the move to Kailh with this new keyboard is interesting - though it does allow for a lower MSRP with the same per-key RGB lighting of the Elite model. And while Kailh switches are less expensive to buy (about a third of the cost of a Cherry MX key switches), that does not mean the performance is inferior - though I have previously found Kailh switches to feel a little different.

Das Keyboard has introduced their Q-series of "smart, cloud-connected keyboards" which use the company's Q-software to bring notifications directly to key backlighting. It's an interesting concept, and the software connects to both IFTTT and Zapier services "to light up the 5Q and X50Q keyboards with notifications - all color-coded and displayed on keys determined by the user", according to Das Keyboard.

The first of the two announced models is the 5Q, shown here with its silicon-padded wrist rest attached:

"The Das Keyboard 5Q is a cloud-enabled, open API, RGB mechanical keyboard that helps boost productivity through dazzling performance and the industry’s fastest electronics."

What are these fast electronics? Exclusive to the 5Q is 'Real-Time One' (or RTO) which is an analog technology that Das Keyboard states "detects key presses in 0.4 milliseconds and reports it to the computer within 1 millisecond—up to 45 times faster than other keyboards". RGB lighting is onboard, naturally, and here Das Keyboard is offering what they call "RGB+", which is a ultra-bright solution they claim to be "many times" as bright as other keyboards:

"Extra-bright RGB backlighting electronics called Das Keyboard RGB+, along with custom surface-mount LEDs, optimized lens and ultra-clear light guide—making the 5Q keyboard many times brighter than any other RGB keyboard currently on the market."

These are mechanical keyboards, both of which offer Omron Gamma Zulu switches, as the company describes:

"A modern best-in-class, soft tactile key switch that provides users with faster, effortless typing and gaming sessions. Das Keyboard’s Gamma Zulu switches have a 1.5mm actuation point, a total travel of 3.5mm and can withstand an unsurpassed 100 million actuations..."

Next we have the X50Q:

The X50Q adds a swappable top plate design (and includes alternate textured WASD keys), but does not have the RTO analog system - and costs $50 less than the 5Q. Pricing for these keyboards is at the high end of the premium keyboard market, with MSRPs of $249 for the 5Q and $199 for the X50Q. Both models are available now.

The Lian Li Strimer is a extension for your 24 pin ATX power cable, 200 mm in length or roughly 7.8" long. There are two parts to the cable, the white one transfers the power while the clear RGB cable attaches to the top of the white with clips. It also ships with a controller, which you can use if your motherboard lacks a 3-pin RGB header; rare to find these days. If you need a rainbow bridge in your system to take your RGB addiction to new levels this might be worth picking up. The Guru of 3D shows you exactly what this power cable can do here.

"Lian Li release the Strimer, a simple enough ATX power cable extension, that offers a layer of RGB. The looks are daunting, special and do make your PC look like something else. Yes, illuminate that ATX cable harness."

The company loaned us the G560 for review, and we spent the last few weeks using it as our primary speaker system for movies, music, and games. Does adding RGB lighting to your PC speakers make a positive contribution to your multimedia experience? Or is it just a gimmick?

More than RGB

The Pulsefire Surge from HyperX is a wired gaming mouse with solid specs and 360-degree ring of RGB lighting. The heart of the mouse is its optical sensor, which in this case is the Pixart PMW3389; a sensor with a native 16,000 DPI (or CPI) resolution. A pair of Omron switches handle clicking duties for the left/right mouse buttons, and on paper this seems like a pretty good option - with the added flair of RGB effects. So how did it perform? Let's find out!

Out of the box the Pulsefire Surge looks quite conventional - more like a standard productivity mouse than a gaming product. This is a compact symmetrical design (aside from the two side buttons along the left edge). Without RGB lighting enabled this could pass for any number of inexpensive or OEM mice on a desk - but we will discover that actual use paints a very different picture.

HyperX today announced a third member of their gaming mouse family with the Pusefire FPS Pro, a wired model featuring the Pixart PMW3389 sensor, Omron switches, and single-zone RGB lighting effects.

"The Pulsefire FPS Pro features the Pixart 3389 sensor for accurate tracking and utilizes premium Omron switches with 20M click durability, six programable buttons, and onboard memory to save up to three custom profiles through HyperX NGenuity software.